We have to go back to Anthony Bennett to find traces of a first draft pick who only scored two points in his first match. We obviously do not wish Cade Cunningham to follow the same path as the former Cleveland and Minnesota winger, but history will therefore remember that he started his NBA career on October 30, against the Magic, and that he compiled 2 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 18 minutes. The whole to 1 in 8 with the shots. We especially remember that he allowed the Pistons to win their first victory of the season, and that he did not seem to suffer from his ankle.
“I thought it was good. I have the feeling that I was able to produce a game without the ball, to take a few rebounds. I had the impression of being solid defensively ”, Cunningham said after the meeting. “What I mean is that was in these areas that I wanted to prove to myself that my ankle was restored, and that I could move and defend and do everything else. As a result, I have eliminated all the jitters and can now play freely. “
“I knew it was going to be rusty, that there would be timing issues…”
After several weeks of inactivity, his playing time will initially be limited to around 20 minutes, and he had to wait until the middle of the second quarter to register his only basket of the match. A left hand lay-up in traffic.
“I wouldn’t say it was something I hadn’t considered or could not imagine” Cunningham continues about his NBA debut. “But every time you step on the pitch it’s always different than what you imagined. Once on the pitch, all those moments of trying to prepare your head are overwhelmed by the excitement of wanting to play ”.
Most importantly, Detroit unlocked its meter, and Cunningham got rid of the stress of the premiere. “It happened exactly as I thought … I knew it was going to be rusty, that there would be timing issues and everything,” a réagi Dwane Casey. “You can’t be away for a month and play the way you want, but I liked the effort, the intensity with which he played, the way he sped up the game, that he circulated the game. ball… He tried to make the right decisions and that’s what we needed, the flow of the ball. “
Next outing, Tuesday night, with the reception of the NBA champions, the Bucks. Cunningham knows that every one of his outings will be scrutinized, but he says he is able to ignore it.
“You don’t have to listen to everything… I try to save my energy and my mind for the most important. My teammates know what they want from me, I know what I want from me, so that’s all that really matters to me. People can say whatever they want, but I probably won’t hear it. “
